March 17, 2014

I should have more time to write you this week! 

Alright. Well first, we'll talk more about the area! Loughborough is a university town, but without the university the city would be pretty pathetic, it's really small! it's beautiful! our area is absolutely massive and takes almost an hour to DRIVE out of it. I'm in a car!! woo woo! I hope I never have to look at another bike for the rest of my mission haha but whatever happens will happen. When I first arrived there was not much happening here. There have been Zone Leaders here for 1 year and they have only seen 1 baptism, which was 2 weeks ago, the saturdaybefore I came in.  So, I am exited for this oppurtunity I have to change the members and missionaries ideas about how missionary work is in Loughborough.  

We have 1 investigator we put on a baptismal date this week, her name is Jill! I think I might have wrote more about this last week, but she is in her 60's and is really solid! she will make it for the 9th of April.  We have been finding, and finding, and finding, I have never talked to so many people in my life! It is really good, however, sometimes it is hard to stay energetic after 4 hours of doing the same thing over and over! We were able to find 3 new investigators this week! 2 of them chinese! which as you know I was incredibly stoked about. The members seem really nice! they aren't extremely pumped about missionary work, but they are good members, and there are a few who will be key in getting the ball rolling here in Loughborough! In our zone we have 16 teams, so besides us, there are 32 missionaries that we look after. Our zone was one of the worst in the mission, but since January, we have been doing actually pretty well. It is my vision and sincere desire to bring Leicester zone to be top of the mission!

I love Elder Tuisku, he is such a hard worker! we haven't waisted a second of time since we've been together and it's been really enjoyable.  With some of the zone leaders you can't really have a laugh or mess around, but he has a great sense of humor and we do a lot joking around which keeps us sane!  

This week we were privileged to have Elder Jose Texeira, the President of the Europe Area, come to our mission! He presented a mission leadership council on wednesday that was brilliant! he spoke about his vision for us as a mission, and how missionaries create imaginary walls in areas, for example, something common we might here is "You got sent to _____, that sucks! you can't have any success there!" this is an illusion that we create in our heads. Nothing is to hard for the lord. That is my goal for this ward I am now serving in, to change the expectations, because when we have the hope and expectations to succeed, it will happen every time.  He also presented a zone conference in which he really elaborated on the saviors parable of the talents. he explained to us that Heavenly father has blessed us with a talent, our proselyting area, and we need to report back to heavenly father at the end of our time serving there, and ask ourselves, what this area better than when I arrived?

I am grateful to say that I have tried my hardest in Eastwood and Coventry, and have seen some incredible miracles on the way, and I hope and pray that I will be able to continue in Lougborough, that when I leave, I will be able to account back to Heavenly Father presenting an evidence of our dilligence and love for these people!  Everything in our lives is a 'talent' that Heavenly Father gives us. What are we doing with these things? I think it is evident that our family knows how to make things happen when we expect things to happen. So let's keep it up!  Elder Texeira is a man of God. I cannot deny it! the spirit was so strong in those meetings, and sometimes his countenance was that of President Uchdorf, I don't know how to explain it, but when he would speak, it was literally as if I was looking at President uchdorf, and hearing it in his voice. Maybe I didn't get enough sleep the night before, but I thought that was note worthy.

I love you all so much! I hope you have incredible weeks and that you will EXPECT incredible things to happen in your life.

Love you all, take care

Elder Bammer 

March 3, 2014

We've made it to March! how on earth did that happen so fast??

This week was Good!

On Monday we had zone p-day which is always good to get together with a bunch of missionaries!

On Tuesday we had a lesson with Gifty and the only thing she really struggles with is the reading commitment, so we found out a way that she can listen to the book of mormon for 5 minutes every day as she's walking home from school! we will see! I love her so much, and I would like to ask for all of you to concentrate any prayers you may have for Gifty and Rosalyn. They are so close! After we had a dinner appointment we met with Cathy and Louis and Long and Zed. They all loved their baptisms and we're bearing testimony of the gospel and the difference it has made in their lives and it was sooo good!

Wednesday we had a really good lesson with Albert where he told us he doesn't have much of a testimony of the plan of salvation because of the belief in reincarnation that the chinese have. We retaught the plan, and then invited him to pray about it right there in front of us, and he said he felt really peaceful and happy and he knows it's true. He came to church yesterday and he is really looking solid for baptism on the 15th!

On Thursday we had a really spiritual District meeting. all of the missionaries in our district have agreed that this is easily our favorite district we've had. we are all best friends and we love each other, and that is why we have seen so much success! because we have brought unity to the ward and to the district. in most of the big cities in the mission, the missionary companioships are really competitive to see who has better numbers, but that is definitely not the case in Coventry at the moment. We bore our testimonies and there were some incredibly spiritual thoughts and feelings shared and it was way sweet. One of the more special moments of my mission that I won't forget.  After that Elder Hall and I went on exchange and had a way good time! we taught Nora, Sheri, Gifty and Rosalyn, and took an investigator to a dinner appointment. 

On Saturday we played football, and then went to city center and street contacting with some of the youth in the ward that had never done any sort of missionary work before, so it was sweet to see how nervous they were, and to realize how much I have grown as a missionary! a year ago I couldn't imagine stopping random people on the street! but I love it! After street contacting one of our investigators took us to dinner at a really good buffet because it is probable that I will be transferred on wednesday :/ I'm really nervous and I don't want to be transferred at all but whatever happens will be what needs to happen.  After the dinner, a member in our ward's dad is a general authority, Elder Dryden. He wanted us to come over to their house so he could ask us questions about how we are having success and what we are doing. It was an honor to spend time with a general authority, and for HIM to be asking US questions. it was crazy. We both loved it, and we wish we could have had more time. We got to honestly express our feelings of how the mission is good and anythings we would change about our experiences and it was just really good. 

Sunday was great! Elder Unice had the runs so church was miserable for him hahaha. not that funny but looking back it is actually pretty histerrical when I think about when I would look accross the room and see how uncomforable he looked. We have a kind of relationship that it is ok that I make fun of him for it. So we didn't get to do much yesterday because he was feeling really sick.  But he is feeling much better this morning which is good! we will go to a buffet and then we will get haircuts, and then we'll see what happens! tonight we'll find out whether I stay or whether I go.  Have a great week people that I love!

Mom- I loved your blog post today! I smiled ear to ear many times while reading. I'm not completely when or why but yeah. the idea for the gathering every year is BRILLIANT! I'm not sure what to call it. maybe the hammerhead shark? or the bottlenose-dolphin? let me know what you think. or maybe YOLO-SWAG-DOPE. just spitballin'. anyways love you all! Look forward to hearing from you all next week!

March 10, 2014

Hello my family! I am so sorry I know I have so much to write but I don't have a lot of time to do so! so I was called to be a zone leader in the Leicester zone this week, however, my area is actually called Loughborough, it's at the tip of the zone and the surrounding cities to it are Nottingham, Derby, and Leicester. It's a good area! there is a Uni, but hardly any off-race students. mostly people born and bread in the U.K. and pretty posh from what I can gather. It is the most famous university for athletics! everyone is always outside playing football or rugby or something else! at the moment our teaching pool is really small, however, this week Elder Tuisku and I were able to find 40+ Potential investigators. we spent HOURS finding, and finding and more finding. I really enjoy the feeling at the end of the day when you know you busted your butt and had fun as well. So Elder Tuisku is the name of my new companion. He is from Finland, and he is such a beast! he is a great worker, and a really nice guy, and he's also way funnny! we have gotten along really well so far, however it is difficult to tell because we have only been together for a few days!!  

We have an investigator who we put on a baptismal date the day after I got here, her name is Jill, she is 61 and she is highly addicted to smoking! please keep her in your prayers and that she can make it for the 9th of April. It was devastating saying goodbye to all of my loved ones in Coventry. It was an incredible area, maybe my favorite 4 months of my entire life! I truly loved it. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to everyone I wanted to, but it's ok because I will  be able to go back for the baptisms!

I will send pics next week, I PROMISE. also I will share some cool miracles that happened next week, as I am really running out of time.

Know that I love you! Know that I pray for you and miss you all everyday! I'm so stoked to hear about all of the great things going on back home!  Have a great week!

Take care!

Elder Harris

Feb 24, 2014

Hello Family!!

It was an incredible week to say the least, and I am absolutely exhausted. On Monday we had a really good P-day and it was nice to just chill for a day, we didn't do anything special. On Tuesday Elder Unice and I were street contacting, and I started talking to a guy, and Elder Unice felt like he needed to talk to someone who was walking by, so we were seperately street contacting, and the guy I was talking to needed start walking, so I walked with him, and Elder Unice and I got lost from each other, and we only have one phone for the 2 of us. So thankfully, I found another companionship that was at the city center and I joined with them street contacting. Elder Hall, who is one of my greatest mission friends, and I decided that we would really look for people until we felt compelled to talk to someone. We ended up talking to the sickkest guy ever wearing beats by dre. headphones. We talked to him about the purpose of life, then preceded to set up the return appointment, and he was like, I would love it if you guys could teach me right now! so we sat on a bench, taught him the Plan of Salvation, and put him on a baptismal date! it was a miracle! I have never done that on my mission yet but it was brilliant. And he is really solid, he has already read most of 1 Nephi. 

On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday we taught Gifty to get her ready for the baptism on Saturday, but unfortunately she didn't make it. however, she did come to church again!  Which is the 3rd time in a row, and she is developing really good relationships with the ward, so that's brilliant. On Thursday we taught lessons to most of our investigators who were qualified for baptism, and we found out that after that, only Luis, Long, and Cathy would be able to be baptized! 

Saturday was the most incrediblie day of my mission! Most of the day we were making preperations for the baptism which was in the evening, making food, picking up investigators and members, etc. The massive bus took around 60 people to the baptism, and then there were about 50 more people who made it out, so we had 100 + who attended.  Cathy, Luis, and Long were baptized and they loved it! the spirit was so strong and so many of the members were feeling it. Because 7 baptisms in one week for a ward is sooo rare in England, the members were so happy. After the baptism we went and ate at Coventry Chapel, and all of the members were so motivated to fellowship the investigators and recent converts that were in the room. Yesterday at a dinner appointment, the Reynolds family who we visited were basically begging us to get them involved with the work, whether it was referrals of their friends, teaching with us, lifts to church, etc. It was so cool to see the spirit of the lord not only soften the hearts of the nonmembers, but the energy it brought to the members was almost more incredible.  It is great to be in Coventry. Enzo, Sneya, Nick, and Carol were also baptized, and they are soo good as well. 

Sunday was amazing as well. I did back to back to back confirmations for our investigators, and then after the confirmations of all 7, I got to bless the Sacrament with Luke (the convert we baptized in January) for his first time! It was such an incredible experience. President Rasmussen came to our ward and taught a little bit of the second hour for investigators and recent converts.  After church I was exhausted. I just needed a break to chill and SLEEP. I'm still exhausted but P-day will be great. 

MEGGSSS!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! I hope that you had an amazing day, and you should send me an email with your email address so I can get your address and stuff just incase I want to send you something haha.

MOMMMMYYY!! happy birthday to you! how old are you now? 35? you look it!!

Tell Spence to email me so he can give me details on this Mizuno sponsorship. That is sweet!  They make really good irons actually!!

For dad- I'm not sure of the full names for our investigators cause they go by their English names.  All I know is that Long Wang is the full name of Long. what a sick name huh!!  He's a legend. 

I have more pictures of this week but for some reason the computer I'm using at the moment won't allow me to upload them... soo I'm sorry!!

I love you all like heck, and I hope all of you are having the time of your life doing whatever you're doing! Mike and Josh, it would be good to hear from you!!

Have a great week,

Elder Sam Harris.

Feb 17, 2014

Hey fam and friends!

Another great week! we have completed the discussions with Da Hua, Michael,  Albert, Frank, Luis, Long, Cathy, Gifty, and Rosalyn! so those are the investigators eligible for baptism on Saturday. It would be outstanding if they would all make it, and again, I ask for your prayers for them to make it! if they don't make it on saturday, I know they will sometime in March or in the near future, but I would love to see them be baptized as I might leave Coventry soon!

On Monday Mitch sent us a text basically saying that his family went balistic when they heard he was going to church, and so he's not allowed to come to church anymore. He was so exited for his baptism! so that was a huge bummer. but we are still meeting with him every once and a while at the university when we can. Elder Unice and I have now been kicked out of the University hang out we were teaching at, and the public library. so we don't have anywhere to teach besides people's houses right now, which we could use help with! we taught a couple of lessons in ikea, and it was alright, but please pray for us to find another good place to teach!

The valentine's package was awesome! I love that book with some of my closest friends! I also LOVED all of the letters from spencers friends, and their advice for me on how to enjoy my mission and continue working hard. I really needed all of their encouragement and support while I am out here! I could sense in their writing their love for being a missionary, and it makes me never want to leave! also, thank you for the goldfish and for the puzzle. however with the puzzle, there is  no picture for me to look at! so I am just putting it together with no idea what it actually is! haha

On Saturday, and yesterday, we had dinner appointments with members of our church who are from India, and we had some AMAZING indian food. before my mission I wasn't a big fan, but I think it might be my favorite along with chinese food. 

On Sunday we had 10 investigators at church! Nora and Sheri haven't missed a week in like 5 weeks! they are coming to the baptism on saturday so they can see it, and tell their parents about it, hoping that they will eventually get the  consent ffrom them to join the church. they are incredible and possibly two of my favorite invesigators I've had my whole mission. 

Yesterday at church sacrament meeting was all about families, and so many different times throughout the lesson the spirit hit me so powerfully! the peaking moment when we sang families can be together forever. I absolutely know that to be true. All of my life I have been blessed with the spiritual gift of being very confident and sure of my belief in God, and the power of the atonement which was an excellent foundation for my testimony. Constantly on my mission I am reminded of basic truths of the gospel that will almost knock me off my chair. For example: WOW, Joseph Smith actually was a prophet.. Thomas S. Monson actually does have the exact same keys and power as Moses/Abraham/Adam/Joseph Smith etc. I love when these things become real to me, and nothing makes me happier. Seeing the people in England with and without the gospel is quite an incredible difference. And I have noticed that the difference is hope.  We have a hope that the church is true, and that we do have a purpose in this life. So many members of the church struggle with their testimonies in different areas and never develop a perfect knowledge, but their hope for a better world keeps them happy!  And it's amazing.   If anyone back home is struggling with their testimony and is confused about something, please email me! I would LOVE to help you get back on track and experience the great happiness which is the gospel of Jesus Christ!!  I'm not saying my testimony is perfect because there is so much that I need to learn and apply in my life to become more Christlike. My calling is to invite people to come unto Christ, not just to those in England! I love this gospel, and sincerely want everyone to hear the message and experience the hope that it brings.  Love y'all like heck!!  Que tengan una buena semana!!

Feb 10, 2014

   This was easily the quickest week of my mission!

We taught 25 lessons this week which was the most of my mission so far! On Monday we had a really good appointment with Da Hua, and committed him to everything, and finished the lessons with him! he is now ready for baptism, except he didn't come to church yesterday, because he slept in, but he's been 3 other times so all is well!

On tuesday we had an incredible lesson with Our investigator Mitch, the only English kid. He is so cool! we saw him nearly every day this week and each day the light inside of him becomes brighter and brighter.  Our investigator from Ghana, Gifty, fed us 4 times this week. She keeps the food warm for us every day just incase we come over haha she is the cutest! an absolute miracle happened with her. We were kind of stuck with Gifty, not sure what we needed to do to help her progress. She is going back to University, being 35, she hasn't done school for the last half of her life, and so she's needed a lot of help. She was praying at night, and for some reason she couldn't stop thinking about the church, and how she probably needed to take it more seriously. She prayed and asked heavenly father to help her confirm that the things we teach her about eternal famillies are true. she went to University the next day, and became friends with the kid sitting next to her named Morgan, who is a genius. So she called us and told us that she found a friend to help her with her class work, and she was really exited. We went over to her house later that day, and Morgan is a Yound Single Adult in Coventry ward, who is every active. She took this whole thing as a confirmation that she definitely needs to be baptized soon which is terrific and we are way stoked!

We watched the restoration DVD in Chinese with almost all of our investigators this week because they have been taught every lesson so we are now reviewing things before the 22nd! On last monday, the Zone leaders in Coventry decided that we should have a chinese activity at the church because of all of the invesigators, so we decided to have a chinese hot pot party! it was super last minute, and we ended up being able to bring 30 non-members which was a huge miracle!! I didn't take a lot of pictures, but I did take a lot of videos that you will be able to see when you get the sd card.

church was great! we had 10 investigators at church and they all loved it! The investigators all went around the room in sunday school and introduced themselves and why they were at church. some of the funny responses were Michael and Cathy. Michael said, "I am here because Elder Unice and Elder Harris Kidnapped me, and I had no choice" in broken chinese it was hilarious. and then Cathy said, "I am here because Elder Unice and Elder Harris are so cute! and they have helped me become content with my life, and the feeling inside my heart is always so warm and happy when I am worshipping god." We went to the homeless shelter again, and then we went over to Sam Bowles house later that night and it was a great day! today for P-day we are going to a transport musuem in the city center. should be alright! love you all so much, talk to you soon! The picture is me and Nora and Sheri! The scroll that our investigator Cathy gave us, and then Elder Unice, Michael Jordan, and I on Chinese new year!

Feb 3, 2014

This week was pretty good!

 

I cannot believe it's been a week since last monday! time FLIES. I cannot believe the seahawks just stomped on the Broncos. We had some amazing lessons and New Investigatos this week! so on the 22nd of February it looks like at least 6 of our investigators will be baptized, and hopefully 10 will make it! They have decided that because the font isn't going to be ready by then, the mission is hiring a coach to go to the nearest chapel, because within the whole ward, there should be about 12 baptisms! an absolute miracle in Coventry. 

 

We have a white investigator who is progressing!! wooo!! haha he is so cool, his name is Mitch and he's an absolute Legend. He came to church yesterday and enjoyed it, and will come again. His life has changed pretty dramatically in 3 weeks from learning about the gospel, and it's incredible to see the changes the lord can make in such a short period of time. 

 

On Friday we went to the chinese new year gathering at the University to watch our investigators perfrom. it was so awesome!! Ni hao ma is all I can say. I'm pretty sure the brethren messed up on my mission call.. I should have gone to Hong Kong. Just kidding, I know I'm in the right place for a reason but I wish I was sorrounded by purely chinese and their amazing culture and food and humor. 

 

Nora and Sheri REALLY want to get baptized, but still can't! because they still need their parents consent. so please continue to pray for them to be able to get baptized so they can have the gift of the holy ghost in their lives! This week i would love to ask to concentrate your prayers on Nora, Sheri, Michael, Da Hua, Cathy, Long, Luis, Frank, Aramide, Gifty, Rosalyn, Albert, and Jim. All possible for the 22nd of February. I love you guys so  much! so many incredible things are happening in our lives, and we are so blessed to have this time on earth to learn and grow from one another. I love you all!